Table 2.

Therapeutic alliance-related study characteristics and alliance association with outcome.

Authors, astudied disorder	Mean and percent of completed modules/total Mean and percent clients completed/started biCBT	Sample characteristics	Therapist education, time (per client)	Mode and frequency of contact	Other contact	Time, measure & rating of alliance	Alliance effect on outcome
Herbst et al. (2016) OCD	cNot reported cN = 30/34, 88%	cPartly clinician-referred, amount of self-referred not reported, comorbidities not reported, severe depression excluded	cExperienced cognitive behavioral therapists, time used not reported	cWeekly e-mail support, contact twice a week	cTelephone pre-screening and diagnostic interview, face-to-face diagnosis confirmation, telephone contact in case of significant worsening	Endpoint WAI (12 items) = 4.08	Significant correlation r = 0.33 with change score p = 0.04 (for N = 34)
Andersson et al. (2015) OCD	d7.28/10, 73% dN = 44/50, 88%	dPartly clinician-referred, 88% self-referred, comorbidity included, extreme or minimal OCD excluded	Final year psychology students d129 min	E-mail 2–3 times a week	dTelephone initial and diagnostic interview, SMS when not logged in for a week, telephone call if still not logged in, automatic SMS on each e-mail	Week 3 WAI (12 items) = 65,71	High alliance score (> 69) predicted less symptoms, larger change scores p < 0.05(for N = 50)
Bergman Nordgren et al. (2013) Anxiety (eany anxiety disorder except PTSD or OCD)	e7.96/8.86, 90% eN = 59%	eSelf-referred comorbidities allowed	Final year psychology students, instructed 15 min per week	Weekly e-mail support	eFace-to-face diagnostic interview, all other contact via e-mail	Start, week 3 and endpoint WAI-S (12 items), minor modification = 6	Significant correlation r = − 0.47 with residual gain scores p = 0.019 (for N = 27)
Andersson et al. (2012b)
Depression	f6/7, 86% fN = 17/29, 59%	fSelf-referred, comorbidity included (38%), extreme or minimal depression excluded	fFinal year psychology students 53 min	fWeekly e-mail support	fFace-to-face diagnostic interview, e-mail reminders, telephone call if not reached for two weeks (n = 3)	Week 3 WAI (36 items), minor modification = 5,25	Residual gain score correlation r = 0.20 ns. (for N = 29)
GAD	g4.8/8, 60% g10.5%	gSelf-referred, comorbidity included (co morbid depression 22,5%) minimal GAD excluded	gFinal year psychology students 97 min	Weekly e-mail support	gTelephone diagnostic interview, e-mail reminders	Week 3 WAI (12 items) = 5,63	Residual gain score correlation r = 0.13 ns. (for N = 44)
SAD	h6.8/9, 86% hN = 56/102, 55%	hSelf-referred, comorbidity included but unknown	hFinal year psychology students and licensed psychologists, on average 15 min per week	Weekly e-mail support	hTelephone diagnostic interview, SMS reminders	Week 4 WAI (12 items) = 5,45	Residual gain score correlation r = 0.10 ns. (for N = 102)

^aOCD = Obsessive compulsive disorder, GAD = General Anxiety Disorder, SAD = Social Anxiety Disorder, PTSD = Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

^biCBT = internet-based cognitive behavior therapy treatment.

^cInformation from the original article (Herbst et al., 2014).

^dInformation from the original article (E. Andersson et al., 2012).

^eInformation from the original article (Carlbring et al., 2011).

^fInformation from the original article (Vernmark et al., 2010).

^gInformation from the original article (Paxling et al., 2011).

^hInformation from the original article (Andersson et al., 2012a).